Apparatus for and method of feeding strip material



Sept. 16, 1969 N. J. ROSENBURGH 3,467,340

APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF FEEDING STRIP MATERIAL Filed Nov. 1. 1966 FIG. s

52 F/GZ 3 FIG. 2 S 6 55 NORM/W J. ROSENBURGH INVENTOR.

A TTOR/VE Y3 United States Patent 3,467,340 APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF FEEDING STRIP MATERIAL Norman J. Rosenburgh, Rochester, N.Y., assignor to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N,Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Nov. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 591,235 Int. Cl. G11b 23/04, 15/32 U.S. Cl. 242-497 15 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a magazine for a reel of the type adapted to have strip material Wound thereon and more specifically to a protective magazine that permits use of the reel and strip material thereon without removing the reel from the magazine and which facilitates feeding of the strip material from the reel to a location outside the magazine. The present invention also relates to the novel magazine-reel unit and to the method and apparatus for feeding strip material from a reel to a location adjacent the reel for use.

The concept of storing strips of material wound upon a reel is utilized in many facets of present day industry. Where the strip material wound on the reel is susceptible to soiling, scratching, or other harmful effects from the environment, protective covers are often provided for the reels. A typical example of such protective covers is a cylindrical band which snaps over the outer periphery of the reel flanges as is commonly used, for example, on adhesive tape containers. Boxes, wrappings and other such containers of varying structure are likewise used to protect the material on the reel; however, a common deficiency of the above mentioned protective structures is that each such container must be removed before the reel and material thereon can be used. During removal and insertion back into the protective containers and while outside the container, the strip material is subject to unwinding, bending and harmful effects from the external environment. Further, in some instances, the strip material on the reel is identified by markings on its particular container so that a separation of the reel from its particular container creates the possibility of a loss of identification of the material.

In many uses of the strip material stored on a reel including for example, information bearing films or tapes, it is desirable to provide means for feeding an end of the strip material from the reel to a location where it can be more readily engaged for use. Such means have heretofore been provided in the apparatus in which the reel is used and have typically taken the form of structure extending between the reel flanges, often being biased towards the strip material so as to engage and guide the leading edge of the strip to the desired location on the feed path. Such a guide structure must be moved into and away from a location between the reel flanges and therefore creates difliculties during mounting and rotation of the reel. Again, the use of such prior art feeding guides involves removing the reel from its protective container before the guide can be positioned between the flanges. It can be seen therefore that a need exists for an 3,467,340 Patented Sept. 16, 1969 ice improved protective magazine within which the strip bearing reel can be both stored and used and that, in such magazines, means should desirably be provided to facilitate feeding of the leading strip edge from within the magazine to a location outside the magazine for use.

Recently, magazine-reel units have been devised in which the supply reels can be mounted and retained within a protected container during use and storage; however, in these devices, in order to provide for withdrawal of the strip from the magazine, the leading end of the strip or structure attached thereto is enlarged or otherwise modified so as to be maintained outside the protective magazines. Such a modification of the strip is both costly and time consuming. Further, such modification of the strip end presents problems during use of the strip, as for example during the feeding of the strip past guide structure provided along the path of use.

In accordance with the present invention an improved magazine is hereinafter disclosed for strip containing reels which magazine protects the reel and strip and which allows use of the reel and strip thereon without the necessity of removing the reel from the protective container. The present invention also provides a novel magazine which, in cooperation with the reel and other novel structure, facilitates feed of the strip within the magazine. The present invention also provides a novel apparatus for and method of feeding the leading edge of strip material wound upon a reel to a location adjacent the reel for use.

The protective magazine of the present invention comprises a casing having an outer portion of width which is greater than the width of the particular reel with which it it to be used and an inner generally cylindrical bore which has a diameter that is greater than the diameter of the opposed flanges of the reel. The magazine also includes a flange which extends from the bore surface inwardly towards the center of the bore so as to form a generally annular surface having a diameter which is less than the diameter of the reel flanges. The magazine flange, which has a width less than the distance between the reel flanges, extends inwardly from a location between the edges of the bore surface. The magazine further includes shoulder portions on opposite sides of the annular flange which define bearing and guide surfaces for the outer peripheral portions of the reel flanges. The reel flanges are desirably formed of yieldable material so that a reel flange can be flexed past the magazine flange. It is of course understood that the magazine can also be constructed so as to yield and admit the reel.

When a reel of appropriate dimensions is snapped within the above described magazine, the reel is disposed in rotatable relation with the outer peripheral edges of the reel flanges supported on the bearing surfaces and with the magazine flange between the spaced flanges of the reel so that the magazine shoulders retain the reel Within the magazine. In this position within the magazine, the strip material on the reel is protected from unwinding and from harmful elements of the surrounding environment which might enter between the flanges of the reel and damage the material.

The magazine is also provided with an exit aperture in the casing which extends from a throat formed in the magazine flange and is of such dimension as to allow the strip material on the reel to readily pass therethrough. In accordance with one embodiment of the novel magazine, the magazine casing also includes a portion which is of a width less than the width between the reel flanges and which is spaced from the exit aperture.

When a reel having a strip of material wound thereon is supported within the magazine as described above, the reel can be rotated while the magazine remains stationary. Rotation of the reel can be accomplished in various manners, as for example, by engagement of a drive spindle with the reel hub or by engagement of a driven roller with the outer flanges through the narrowed section of the magazine casing. When the reel is rotated within the magazine in this manner, it has been found that the leading end of the strip on the reel can be directed through the exit aperture of the magazine by successively compressing or pinching opposed portions of the reel flanges as they respectively move past a location which is spaced from the exit aperture. In one embodiment of the present invention, the pinching occurs at the section of narrowed width in the magazine casing.

As the opposed portions of the reel flanges are successively compressed, successive portions of the outer strip convolution respectively therebetween are engaged so that the outer convolution is continuously engaged between portions and the reel flanges and the outer convolution therefore rotates with the reel. After the leading end of the outer convolution of the strip has rotated past the pinching location, the compression of successive trailing portions of that convolution causes the leading end to move outwardly towards the outer periphery of the reel. As the leading end of the strip moves outwardly, it contacts and moves along the guide surface of the magazine flange so as to pass into the exit throat and out of the magazine through the exit aperture.

The embodiments of the magazine casing hereinafter described are constructed having an outer casing configuration which is generally cylindrical in shape and open on both sides; however, it will be appreciated that it would be within the scope of one skilled in the art to utilize magazines having only one open side and with outer configurations other than cylindrical.

From the subsequent disclosure, it will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that the novel feeding procedure will be operable with flexible strip material of varying types; however, it has been found to be particularly suitable for flexible strips such as films or magnetic tapes.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved protective magazine for a reel having strip material wound thereon.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a protective magazine for such a reel which need not be removed during use of the reel and strip material.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a protective magazine for such a reel which can remain on the reel during storage and use and which facilitates feed of strip from the reel for use.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel magazine-reel unit which protects strip material wound on the reel during storage and use and facilitates feed of the leading end of the strip material from within the unit for use.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide novel apparatus and method for feeding strip material from a reel to a location adjacent the reel for use, such apparatus and method being adaptable for use with unenclosed reels as well as reels provided with protective magazines.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description with reference to the drawings in which like characters denote like parts and wherein:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged plan view of one embodiment of the novel magazine and reel having a portion of the reel removed for purpose of illustration;

FIG. 2 is a section of the magazine as viewed along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section of the magazine as viewed along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view, partially in section, of one embodiment of the magazine and reel as viewed from the right side of FIG. 1 with a part of the magazine removed for illustration;

FIG. 5 is a view of one embodiment of the magazine taken from the left side of FIG. 1 and with the reel removed from the magazine;

FIG. 6 illustrates another preferred embodiment of the novel magazine of the persent invention;

FIG. 7 is a cross section taken across lines 77 in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a portion of the magazine and reel unit of FIG. 2 which illustrates one embodiment of the novel apparatus and method for facilitating removal of the strip;

FIG. 9 is a view taken from the left side of the portion of the unit and apparatus illustrated in FIG. 8;

FIG. 9A is a sectional view taken along lines 9A9A in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a portion of the magazinereel unit illustrating another embodiment of the novel apparatus and method for facilitating removal of the strip;

FIG. 10A is a top view of the pinch members illustrated in FIG. 9;

FIG. 10B is a front view of the member illustrated in FIG. 10A;

FIG. 11 is a plan view of the leading end of a,strip of material wound on the reel of the present invention illustrating a modification which can be utilized to further improve the strip feed; and

FIG. 12 is a plan view of the novel magazine-reel unit disposed in one schematically illustrated environment in which it can be used.

By referring to FIGS. 1-5 one embodiment of the novel magazine and magazine-reel unit 1 can be described in more detail. The reel 2 is of the standard type having an inner cylindrical hub 3 of suitable width to accommodate the desired width of strip materials and of sufficient diameter so as to provide means, such as for example a spindle bore, for the rotatable mounting of the reel. Suitable structure (not shown) may be provided at the reel hub for facilitating the attachment to the reel of an end of the strip wound thereon. Reel flanges 4 having a circular outer periphery of a diameter D1 extend from the opposite sides of the reel hub 3 in uniformly spaced relation so as to provide closely adjacent lateral support for strip material of a width W1 wound on the hub. The reel unit may be formed of any suitable material; however, as previously mentioned, a material which permits easy flexure of the flanges has been found to be particularly desirable. The reel flanges disclosed in FIG. 1 are not solid; however, in order to provide a reel-magazine unit which is substantially close to the outside environment such flanges can be provided.

The magazine 10 disclosed in FIGS. l-5 is of a generally cylindrical configuration and comprises a casing 11 having an outer portion of Width W2, preferably slightly greater than the width of the reel 2, and at least greater than the width W1 of the strip material. The casing 11 has a generally cylindrical inner bore 12 of diameter D2 which is slightly greater than the diameter D1 of the reel flanges 4. A magazine flange 13 is formed extending inwardly toward the center of the magazine from a location between the edges of the inner bore 12. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the magazine flange 13 is of width W3 which is less than the distance between the reel flanges 4 and extends around the substantially entire periphery of the inner bore 12. The inner surface of the magazine flange 13 forms a generally annular strip guide surface 14. The inner diameter D3 of the magazine flange 13 is slightly less than the diameter D1 of the reel flanges 4 so that one of the reel flanges 4 can be flexed past the magazine flange 13.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. l-S, the magazine 10 is also provided with a plurality of shoulders 15 spaced around the inner periphery of the bore 12. The shoulders extend generally transverse to, and inwardly from the surface of the bore 12 and are formed with guide recesses 16 on opposite sides which form bearing surfaces 17 for the peripheral edges of each of the reel flanges 4 and aligning surfaces 18 which can contact the inner portion of the reel flanges adjacent the peripheral edge. The recesses 16 are of a depth so that bearing surfaces 17 formed thereby provide a loose fit with the peripheral edge of the reel flanges 4 when a reel is snapped in the magazine. As can be seen best in FIGS. 3 and 4, the aligning surfaces 18 on each shoulder are spaced a distance slightly less than the distance between the reel flanges so as to retain the reel in a generally centered position within the magazine 10 with the peripheral edges of the reel flanges resting on the bearing surfaces 17.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, an exit throat is formed in a portion of the magazine flange 13 so that the annular strip guide surface 14 leads to an exit aperture 21 extending through the casing 11. The exit throat 20 is formed in the inner flange by a gently inclined portion 22 extending from the generally annular portion of the guide surface 14 to one side of the exit aperture 21 and by an opposed more sharply inclined portion 23 of the inner flange extending from the other edge of the aperture 21. The exit aperture 21 is in the form of a slit, transverse to the width of the outer portion of the casing and of a width sufficient to allow the strip material to pass freely therethrough. The exist aperture 21 preferably extends through the casing 11 as an extension of the guide throat 20, i.e., at an angle with the radius of the bore 12, so as to allow the strip to pass more freely through the aperture.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention for facilitating strip feed, a narrowed section 26 of the casing is spaced from the exit aperture 21 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5. The narrowed section 26 is formed in the illustrated embodiment by providing cut-out sections 27, 28 in the casing; however, the narrowed section can assume other suitable configurations which would facilitate application of a pinching force to the reel flanges 4 at a location spaced from the exit aperture. Further, the narrowed section 26 can be entirely omitted if suitable mechanism such as is hereinafter described, is utilized to apply the compressive force to the reel flanges. As can also be seen in FIG. 5, appropriate areas 29 can be provided on the surface of the outer surface of the casing 11 for identifying the particular reel contained therein.

In FIGS. 6 and 7 another preferred embodiment of the magazine 10' is illustrated. In this embodiment the mag-azine 10' includes a casing 11 and inner bore 12 similar to those described with respect to FIGS. 15. This embodiment comprises a generally cylindrical magazine flange 13' which is of a generally continuous width W3 slightly less than the width between the reel flanges 4 and which extends radially inwardly from the inner bore so as to form the generally annular strip guide surface 14' which is of a diameter D3, slightly less than the diameter D1 of the reel flanges. It can be seen that in this embodiment, the reel is retained by the aligning surfaces 18' formed in this instance by the edges of the magazine flange 13 so that the reel can rotate on bearing surfaces which are in this embodiment on the inner bore 12'. The magazine flanges 13 of this embodiment similarly includes an exit throat portion 20 which leads to an exit aperture 21' through the casing 11" in the manner described with respect to FIGS. l5. This embodiment of the magazine can also include a narrowed section as described with respect to FIGS. 15.

Referring 'now to FIGS. 8 and 9, one embodiment of the apparatus utilized to effect the feeding of the strip from either of the previously described embodiments of the novel magazine-reel unit can be seen. The hub of the reel in magazine-reel unit 1 can be mounted on a spindle and/or the magazine can be mounted on other suitable holding and positioning structure. With respect to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, the strip feeding operation will be described with the reel of unit 1 mounted on a driven spindle of the conventional type (not shown), which is adapted to rotate the reel in an unwinding direction, i.e., clockwise as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 8. Located adjacent the magazine-reel unit 1 on an axis of rotation 30 parallel to the axis of rotation of the reel 2 is a shaft 31 having mounted thereon in a spaced relation a pair of circular rollers 32 with inwardly beveled edges 33. The shaft 31 is mounted for rotation on arm 34 which is pivotally mounted on axis 35 and urged towards the unit 1 by a spring 36 or other such means. The rollers 32 are spaced on the shaft 31 so that upon movement of the shaft 31 towards the magazine reel unit 1, the tapered edges move past the narrowed portion 26 of the casing 11 and contact peripheral portions of the reel flanges 4 so as to compress those portions of the reel flanges together as shows in FIG. 9A. A protruding surface 37 is provided on the pivoted arm 34 to engage the magazine surface adjacent the narrowed section 26 and thereby restrain the magazine from rotating; however, such positioning can be accomplished by other suitable mounting structure for the magazine-reel unit. Although in the illustrated embodiment of the rollers 32 are not driven and merely idle on the reel flanges 4 compressing successive opposed portions of the flanges rotating thereby, it will be readily apparent that suitable drive can be imparted to the shaft 31 so as to drive the reel 4 by this means rather than by a driven spindle engaging the real hub.

As the reel 2 is rotated Within the magazine 10, the opposed rollers 32 successively compress together the 0pposed portions of the flanges which pass thereby. The compressing of the successive opposed portions of the reel flanges 4 therefore continuously imparts a transverse pinching force to successive portions of the outer convolution of the strip S respectively therebetween and thereby causes the outer convolution to rotate with the reel. Also, this localized pinching of the outermost strip convolution bows it transversely, as shown in FIG. 9A, thereby causing the pinched portion to assume a longitudinally straight condition due to resistance of the strip to be flexed simultaneously both along and transversely to its longitudinal axis. As the leading edge of the strip moves past the location where the reel flanges are compressed, the pinching of the successive trailing portions of the outer convolution thus causes the leading edge to move radially outwardly and into contact with the annular strip guide surface 14 to a position such as is illustrated, for example, only in FIG. 1. Because successive portions of the outer convolution are continuously held between the respective portions of the flanges successively compressed at the pinching position, the leading edge of the strip is moved with little slippage with the rotating reel and along the guide surface 14 towards the exit throat 20. As the leading end of the strip S is moved in contact with the guide surface 14, it passes along the gently inclined portion 22 of the exit throat 20 and is directed out through the exit aperture by the abutting, more sharply inclined portion 23. Thereafter, the strip material will be fed through the exit aperture 21 and can be directed and/or engaged by suitable structure for use. In embodiments where drive is imparted to shaft 31, positioning structure can be provided beneath the magazine so that the circular magazine can be inserted without positioning and will be rotated by the rollers 32 to the proper position and thereafter held during subsequent feed of the strip.

FIG. 10 illustrates the embodiment of the present invention, previously mentioned, in which the casing 11 does not include a narrowed section. In this embodiment a clip 40 having a generally U-shaped configuration, which can best be seen in FIGS. 10A and 10B, is utilized to pinch the reel flanges 4. In use, the clip 40 is snapped over the casing 11 of the magazine-reel unit at a position spaced from the guide throat 20 and exit aperture 21. The clip 40 is formed of suitable resilient material so that the top portion 41 supports the clip on the casing 11 and the two prongs 42 extend inwardly to successively compress opposed portions of the reel flanges 4 as they rotate therepast so as to effect the feeding of the strip in the manner previously described.

In FIG. 11 the leading edge of the strip S is disclosed having the edges clipped to further facilitate passage through the exit aperture 21.

FIG. 12 schematically illustrates the magazine-reel unit 1 of the present invention as it can be utilized in conjunction with apparatus having a strip feed path, in this instance, a projection viewing device. The reel 2 is mounted within the protective magazine and is, in this embodiment, mounted on a drive spindle 50. The magazine is retained by suitable structure provided in the device (not shown) and supports the reel therein for rotative movement imparted by a spindle 50.

In FIG. 12, the magazine-reel unit 1 is illustrated as utilizing the feed facilitating means illustrated in FIGS. 10A and 10B to effect the feeding operation of the strip material S in this instance, photographic film having images thereon to be projected. As rotation of the drive spindle 50 imparts movement to the reel 2, the reel will rotate within its stationary magazine 10. The reel 2 must of course be inserted within the magazine 10 so that the leading edge of the strip S will be rotated towards the exit throat in a direction from the gently sloping portion 22 to the abutting portion 23, as viewed in FIGS. 1, 8, 10 and 12, in a clockwise direction. The strip S is then fed from the magazine-reel unit 1 in the manner previously described and fed along a path between suitable drive and idler rollers 51, 52, past the optical system 54 of the device and onto a take-up reel 55.

It will now be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the novel magazine, magazine-reel unit and the novel means and procedure for effecting feed of strip material therefrom provide a simple and effective system for protectively storing and easily utilizing strip material of the type adapted to be stored on reels.

It will be further appreciated that a novel apparatus and method have been disclosed for effecting feed of strip material wound on a reel to a predetermined location adjacent the reel for subsequent use and that such apparatus need not necessarily incorporate the magazine structure specifically disclosed herein but can include other guide structure located adjacent the reel which is equivalent to the structure specifically disclosed.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for storing and feeding strip material comprising:

(a) a reel having a pair of spaced generally circular flange members which support and guide strip material wound thereon;

(b) a magazine in which said reel is mounted comprising:

(1) a casing having an outer portion of width at least as great as the width of said strip to be wound on said reel and a generally cylindrical inner surface defining a chamber for receiving said reel, which chamber is of diameter slightly greater than the diameter of said reel flanges;

(2) a magazine flange having a width less than the distance between said reel flanges and extending from the cylindrical inner surface of said casing inwardly towards the center of said chamber so as to form a generally annular surface between the flanges of said reel; and

.(3) a strip egress opening extending from said annular surface through said casing;

(c) means for rotating said reel within said magazine;

and

((1) means for transversely compressing at a location rearward in the direction of rotation from said egress opening and between successive opposed areas of said reel flanges, successive portions of an outer convolution of a strip wound on said reel so that the leading end of the strip wound on said reel is fed through said egress opening.

2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said egress opening includes an exit aperture in said casing and a throat portion formed in said magazine flange so that the inner portion of said magazine flange forms a guide surface for directing the leading end of a strip on the reel disposed within said magazine to a location outside said magazine.

3. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said outer casing comprises a portion of decreased width spaced from said egress opening which portion is of width less than the distance between the flanges of said reel and wherein said means for transversely compressing said strip includes means for pressing opposed portions of the reel flanges together at said portion of decreased casing width.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said means for pressing opposed portions of the reel flanges together comprises a pair of rotatably mounted compressing roller elements mounted in spaced relation to one another and movable to a location at which each of said rollers respectively contacts a peripheral edge of one of said reel flanges.

5. A method of feeding the leading end of a strip of material wound on a reel through an egress opening in a magazine within which said reel is rotatably supported so that the peripheral edges of the opposed reel flanges can move past and on opposite sides of said opening, said method comprising:

(a) rotating said reel within said magazine while holdingd the magazine stationary with respect to said reel; an

(b) pressing together successive, opposed peripheral portions of the flanges of said reel as each pair of opposed portions respectively moves past a location which is spaced rearwardly in the direction of reel rotation from said egress opening.

6. A method of feeding the leading edge of strip material which is wound on a reel through a passage defined by a guide member which is located peripherally adjacent the flanges of said reel and extends around at least a portion of the periphery of said reel, comprising:

(a) rotating said reel while maintaining said guide member stationary with respect thereto; and

(b) compressing the strip transversely between successrve opposed portions of said reel flanges at a locatron spaced rearwardly in the direction of reel rotation from said passage so that successive portions of said strip are respectively engaged between the opposed portions of said reel flanges and the leading portion of said strip is rotated with said reel, moved into contact with said guide member and fed through said passage.

7. An apparatus for feeding strip material from a reel, having a pair of spaced generally circular flange members supporting the strip material wound thereon, to a predetermined location adjacent said reel, said apparatus comprrsmg:

(a) means for rotating said reel;

(b) a guide member having a strip guide surface lo cated adjacent the flanges of said reel and extending around at least a portion of the periphery of said reel so as to define a passage to said predetermined location; and

(c) means located adjacent said reel and spaced from the passage defined by said guide member for successrvely pressing together opposed portions of said reel flanges as those portions are respectively rotated therepast, whereby the leading edge of said strip is fed to said predetermined location for use.

8. An apparatus for separating the leading end of an elongate strip of material from a convoluted roll of such material carried by a reel structure between two opposed generally parallel flange members thereof, said apparatus comprising:

.(a) support means for supporting said reel structure for rotation about the axis of said roll,

(b) drive means for so rotating said reel structure in an unwinding direction; and

(c) flange flexing means engageable with at least one of said flanges as said reel is so rotated past said flange flexing means by said drive means for locally flexing successive regions of said one of said flanges toward the other of said flanges and into transverse squeezing engagement with corresponding successive portions of the outermost convolution of said material on said roll.

9 An apparatus for separating the leading end of an elongate strip of material from a convoluted roll of such material carried by a reel including two opposed, resiliently flexible, generally parallel flanges straddling said roll, said apparatus comprising;

(a) support means for supporting said reel for rotation about the axis of said roll carried thereby,

(b) drive means for imparting unwinding rotation to said reel and said roll so supported by said support means; and

(c) flange flexing means engageable with opposed areas of said two flanges as said reel is so rotated past said flange flexing means by said drive means for flexing successive opposed regions of said flanges toward each other and into transverse squeezing engagement with successive portions of the outermost convolution of said material on said roll.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9 in which said flange flexing means comprises:

(a) a roller member,

(b) bearing means supporting said roller member in radial alignment with said reel for rotation about a roller axis parallel to the rotational axis of said reel; and

() means defining on said roller member two opposed conical surfaces coaxial with said axis of said roller member and engageable with peripheral areas of the respective flanges of said reel to flex the engaged portions of said reel flanges toward one another.

11. An apparatus according to claim 9 including stationary guide means extending at least partially about the periphery of said reel for directing the ledaing end of said strip along a predetermined path as such leading end encounters and moves along said guide means under the influence of said flange flexing means and said drive means.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11 in which said guide means is defined by a magazine member at least partially enclosing said reel, said flange flexing means comprising opposed flange engaging members supported by said magazine member.

13. The method of feeding the leading end of an elongate strip of web material from a generally cylindrical convoluted roll of such material into a guide passage peripherally adjacent said roll, said method comprising:

(a) rotating said roll of material about its axis in an unwinding direction, while (b) applying, at a location spaced rearwardly in the direction, of roll rotation from said passage, a transverse squeezing force to successive portions of the outermost convolution of said strip on said roll as such successive portions of said convolutions are successively moved past said location by such unwinding rotation of said roll.

14. An apparatus for feeding from within a cartridge the leading end of a convoluted roll of strip material contained therein, said apparatus comprising:

(a) means for supporting said convoluted roll for rotation in an unwinding direction within said cartridge;

(b) means defining a strip egress passage from within said cartridge to the exterior of said cartridge;

(c) means defining a guide surface within said cartridge extending rearwardly in the direction of rotation from said egress passage and at least partially around the periphery of said roll; and

(d) means for transversely compressing successive portions of an outer convolution of said strip at a location spaced rearwardly in the direction of rotation from said egress passage, to transmit unwinding rotation to said strip.

15. Apparatus for feeding the leading end of an elongate strip of web material from a convoluted roll of such material, said apparatus comprising:

(a) means for supporting a roll of convoluted strip material for rotation about the roll axis;

('b) means for rotating a roll supported in said apparatus in an unwinding direction about the roll axis;

(c) guide means located peripherally adjacent a supported roll defining a strip feed path away from a supported roll; and

(d) means for applying, at a location spaced rearwardly in the direction of unwinding rotation of a supported roll from said guide means, a transverse squeezing force to successive portions of the outer convolution of the supported roll as such successive portions are successively moved past said location whereby the leading end of the outer convolution is fed along said strip feed path.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,015,860 10/1935 May 248-71.8 X 2,180,222 11/1939 Clarke 242-71.1 3,150,840 9/ 1964 Briskin et al.

3,231,081 1/1966 Elterman.

3,250,482 5/ 1966 Whitnah 242-S5.13 3,348,784 10/ 1967 Gardiner et al.

3,149,797 9/1964 Pastor et a1.

GEORGE F. MAUTZ, Primary Examiner 

